


the story needs some mending and a better happy ending

by aletterinthenameofsanity



Series: The Kids Are Alright [3]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: "Studying", Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, Hozier, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Interracial Relationship, M/M, Mika - Freeform, Mind Control, Multi, Music, Pansexual Character, Polyamory, Promises, Sam Tsui - Freeform, Secret Relationship, Studying, Summer, Team as Family, Therapy, Threesome - F/M/M, as I am the only person working in this relationship, biromantic character, fight me, my soft strong children, though I am literally the only person you'll have to go through, you can pry this OT3 from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-01-06 17:05:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12215127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletterinthenameofsanity/pseuds/aletterinthenameofsanity
Summary: Jay, Lonnie, and Doug stumble into love with the same amount of grace that anyone stumbles into anything. That is to say, none at all.





	1. we are not what you think we are

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song "Fairytale" by Sara Bareilles.
> 
> Flashbacks will detail the time of their friendship growth and the months leading up to their relationship, just like in the first story in the series. The story starts a bit in medias res. Sorry about that.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, this was supposed to be a 2k one shot about the summer between the two main fics. Um, oops?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title from "We Are Golden" by MIKA.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, every chapter is much better quality than this one. This one is necessary, though, so I must apologize.

_"The death of a bachelor_

_Seems so fitting for_

_Happily ever after_

_How could I ask for more?_

_A lifetime of laughter_

_At the expense of the death of a bachelor..."_

_-Death of a Bachelor,_ Panic! At the Bachelor

 

Jay grabs Doug and Lonnie to sneak off after curse has been broken. They go to his and Carlos's (Carlos's in name only, as he ends up in Ben's room ninety percent of the time) room.

He sits down on the bed, legs crossed, and gestures for them to join him. Lonnie glances at Doug and shrugs before the two of them climb onto the bed and join Jay, knees knocking against each others' as they sit in an almost-triangle.

Jay takes a deep breath before summoning up the courage to speak. "I've realized something," he says. "Because of everything that happened with Carlos and Ben." He reaches out his hands to rest on Lonnie and Doug's knees, one on each side and palms facing up. "I realized that I really care about both of you, and I couldn't bear to see something like what happened to Ben happen to either of you."

"Watching them go through that was pretty bad," Doug agrees. He takes Jay's hand and reaches for Lonnie's. "I think I want to give this a try. I like you both, and I want to get to know you better."

He leans forward and presses a soft kiss to Jay's lips, then turns and does the same to Lonnie. Once he leans back he finds them both smiling at him.

"I'd really, really like that," Lonnie says.

-

A few weeks later, a homework session is interrupted when Lonnie makes an announcement.

"I'm thinking of joining the tourney team," Lonnie says.

"Sounds good. We need someone with your skills on the team," Jay says.

Doug smiles. "Seriously though, Lonnie's the best in the land. She'll be captain in no time."

"And I'll be happy to relinquish my crown when she does."

 

Doug plays in the marching band during tourney matches, but when he's not playing his trumpet he's cheering harder than nearly anyone else.

Mal smirks from across the aisle. "Hey, Shorty, you're a bit  _too_ enthusiastic."

Evie nudges her girlfriend. "Don't be mean to Doug. He's allowed to have as much school spirit as he wants." Doug smiles at her before returning to watching the game, gaze following two players in particular. Evie leans over and whispers conspiratorially to Mal: "And fall in love as hard as he wants."

Mal's gaze travels over to the field, where Lonnie, Jay, and the rest got the team are playing. Carlos is on the bench, having just gotten switched out, but he's waving to Ben, who sits in the front row. The King's been too busy lately (whether with kingly duties, planning next year's integration program for incoming Isle kids, or his relationship with Carlos) to go to practice, so he'd politely and quietly quit the team. It worked out wonderfully, actually, with Lonnie earning a spot at about the same time. Ben has gone to every game, though, sitting in the front row to cheer on his boyfriend and True Love.

"Looks like we all are," the faery whispers to her girlfriend. Evie squeezes Mal's hand in agreement.

 

Doug meets them at the door to the changing rooms.

"Great job today," he says, then presses a quick kiss to each of their cheeks after glancing around to see if anyone's there.

"We were watching for you," Lonnie says, returning Doug's kiss with one of her own. "We cheered for you during halftime."

"Oh, that was nothing," Doug says even as he blushes.

"Nah, man, you've got lots of talent," Jay says.

"So do you," Doug says before pulling Jay in for a kiss.


	2. Lonnie: Open Up The Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There will be one flashback chapter from each of the three characters' POV and each one will reveal more about their past leading up to them getting together. Hopefully they should reveal more about the characters and their reasons for ending up together. Also, remember that each of the flashback chapters will not just reveal one characters' POV on things, but also different sections of the backstory. This is NOT the complete backstory, and that is on purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title and lyrics are from song of the same name by Sam Tsui.
> 
> Sorry so much for the wait! It's been hectic the last few weeks and I have over 10 WIPs that I either have saved in my drive or are working on in the Archive. Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

_I can't keep the rain from coming down_

_I've tried to explain away what I'm feeling now_

_I won't be the one who never tried,_

_So open up the sky, open up the sky_

_Open up the sky_  

 

_Lonnie has spent her life trying to escape her mother's shadow. Don't get her wrong- she loves training with weaponry- but she also loves dresses, and doing her hair, and fashion. Her mother had been willing to do whatever was needed to bring honor to her family, dress up and the like, but she never enjoyed any of those things. She viewed fashions as necessities, duties, not passions._

_Lonnie, on the other hand, loves the feeling of a beautiful garment, well-applied makeup and freshly curled hair. She loves music of all kinds, not just classic Chinese like her mother._

_(Lonnie's older sister, Tosh, is somewhere in between. Tosh loves her leather jackets, likes it when Lonnie gives her makeovers, but she spends far more time with her computers than any clothing shop.)_

_  
_

_Lonnie's first best friend was the small boy that she met at the park when she was seven. He had on glasses and a tiny green bowtie._

_"Hello," he says, and as he smiles Lonnie realizes that he's missing one of his two front teeth. "Have you ever read Harry Potter?"_

_She squats next to him. "No," she says, and the boy frowns before she can say: "But it sounds cool. Wanna tell me 'bout it?"_

_He grins, his face lighting up. "Sure!"_

_Lonnie catches herself. "Wait a moment. Momma always tells me not to talk to strangers." The boy pouts before she has an idea. "Wait, just tell me your name and then we won't be strangers!"_

_The boy smiles again. "Doug LeMay, son of Dopey. And you?"_

_"Li Lonnie, daughter of Mulan."_

_Doug's jaw drops. "That's_ so cool _."_

_She protects Doug from Chad, that meanie, when Chad calls him bad names like_ nerd _or_ teacher's pet,  _as well as giving him advice on clothing (even if he never seems to take it)._ _In return she receives a friend who supports her in whatever she needs and helps her when she has trouble with math problems, who allows her to give minor makeovers to and shares in-jokes with her._

_She gets a best friend._

_  
_

_In junior high they start to drift apart. He takes band, she takes karate. They're in two different grades with different interests. Soon enough their only time together is meeting up at lunch and math class. They stop being as close as they once were, only sometimes meeting up._

_Drifting apart is only natural._  

 

_Lonnie finds him the first day of her last year of school. "Long time no see," he says with that same laugh he's had since they were kids._

_"You can say that again," she says. This is the beginning of her last year at Auradon. The two of them didn't hang out once this summer. It's been so long since they were each others' best friends._

_"Getting up to anything this year?" She asks, and he shrugs._

_"Marching band, Physics club- oh, and I also signed up to help Ben show around the kids from the Isle."_

_"Impressive," she says. She glances up at the clock above the lockers. Shit. "We should hang out more this year."_

_"Sounds like a great idea," he says, grinning widely._

 

_They quickly reconnect, eating lunch together and studying together after school._

 

_She finds him at their study table the afternoon that the Isle kid arrive, that favorite singer of his' music playing from his phone._

_She hums along with a few notes as she sits down at the table. "Still listening to Lord Mika after all these years?" She asks._

_He smiles. "Yep. He's set to release a new album soon. Just a week or two, actually."_

_"Glad to hear it," she says._

_He frowns, brow pinched quizzically. "Didn't_ your  _favorite artist just release an album right before school started?"_

_"Sam Tsui? Yeah, and the first two singles have already been released. 'Biggest Mistake' and-"_

_"'Me Without You,'" They chorus in unison, then grin._

_"Looks we still got it," Lonnie says._

_"We're just that good," Doug says._

_  
_

_Jane gets her hair changed a few weeks after the Isle kids show up. Lonnie follows her to the source, which turns out to be Jay's friend Mal. Within her seconds her hair shifts from the hair style her mother wears to one that is more feminine, more soft. It frames her face nicely, and though her conscience rebels at the rebuke of tradition she does like it.  
_

_Doug smiles when he sees it. "You like this hairstyle more than the last one, don't you?"_ _She nods. "I can tell. You seem happier, more comfortable with yourself."_

_"Good," she says._

 

_Lonnie heads down to the kitchen the Wednesday night before the coronation (she always gets a bit hungry on Wednesday nights, it's a strange thing that she's just gotten used to by now) and finds, to her surprise, all of the Isle kids. Jay, first of all, looking surprisingly young in a pair of blue flannel pants and a brown tank top, and the rest of them, from Mal in a purple tank top and boyshorts, Evie in a blue nightgown, and Carlos in red long-sleeved t-shirt and flannels. They all look so naked, so vulnerable- Evie doesn't even have make up on- and Lonnie almost feels like an intruder. As there conversation goes on, revealing more and more things that these kids were missing from their lives on the Isle, her heart plummets further._

_"Didn't your parents ever make you cookies?" She says, remembering years of Dad making egg custard tarts and_  shaobing _while Mom made tea (she burned anything she tried to bake or cook). Lonnie can practically taste the mooncakes of the Mid-Autumn Festival._

_She tells them as such, waxing on for a few minutes._

_She watches as they all find somewhere else to look. Jay, specifically, looks up at the pipes that run from one side of the ceiling to the other._

_"I just thought," she says, heart fragile, "You know, even villains love their kids."_

_And Carlos actually_ flinches _at the statement. Jay turns slightly, putting a hand on Carlos's thigh, and both Mal and Evie glance back at him._

_Lonnie's heart goes cold, and every memory of Mom and Dad is replaced by the image of the Isle kids not getting anything like it._

_Thus, the next words out of her mouth are not too much of a surprise:_ _"This summer, you guys should come visit me at my parents'."_  

_Three of the Isle kids spring to protest, but one does not._

_"I'll go," Jay says, something unfamiliar in his gaze. He doesn't quite seem the outgoing, confident guy who she and Doug have been hanging out with so much for the past few days; instead, he seems an uncertain kid who is unfamiliar with this world (_ her _world.)_

_Lonnie grins. "I can't wait."_

 

_At the coronation, Maleficent appears and Doug kind of jumps onto Lonnie._

_(No, literally, Doug leaps into her arms and they end up frozen that way for the entire time Maleficent has the court under her spell. It's an...interesting experience.)_

_Afterwards, during the first of two dances (formal coronation dance first, then school dance afterward), Lonnie teases him. "Really, Doug? Running to me when there's a big, bad bully? What are we, seven?"_

_Doug shrugs, smiling as he lifts a scone from the refreshment table to his mouth. "I've always known you were the strong one," he says._

_She has to press her teeth against her bottom lip to keep from grinning._

 

_At the school dance, Doug dances with Jay. Lonnie dances with Doug. Jay dances with Lonnie._

_(She tries not to think too much about the implications of such a thing.)_

 

_"Bring Me The Night" was the first Sam Tsui song Lonnie ever listened to. It came out when she was eleven and she didn't quite understand the lyrics at that age._

_Now, though, she kind of does._

 

 _Falling in, well,_ like _with Jay is crazy, a roller coaster of emotions despite the ease of interactions they experience. Maybe it's not that crazy, truly, but she has to compare such an experience to falling in love with Doug, which was the simplest thing in the world. Years of friendship slowly made way for romantic feelings with Doug, shifting so subtly that Lonnie barely noticed the difference. With Jay, though, she's only known him for about two months by this point._

_Her feelings for both, though, are equally strong._

 

 _To Lonnie, 'normal' has always been a strange concept. To be the daughter of two of the greatest, if not_ the  _greatest, generals of the modern day has led to some amazing things happening. (Being taken hostage in '09 was a great memory, for example.)_

_Lonnie's normal nowadays includes studying with Doug and Jay, sharing music with them and eating practically every meal together. They attend band concerts, tourney competitions, and fencing matches together, cheering each other on._

_They're best friends, and she loves it._

_(She can't help wanting something more, though.)_

 

_It's a few weeks after the coronation that Lonnie pulls Doug off into a nearby hallway after their Physics class._

_"Do you like Evie?" She asks, curious. Her heart pounds a bit faster. "'_ _Cause, she's cute and all but she's kinda taken. I don't want to see you get your heart broken-"_

 _Doug chuckles. "I like_ you,  _Lon," he says, "_ And _I like Jay."_

_Lonnie smiles. "Good thing," she says, and takes his free hand in hers, shifting her books into her other arm. "I like you and Jay too."_

_Doug grins. "Just hope he likes us back."_

 

_"You know what," Lonnie says at dinner that night. "Doug, you should come with Jay and I to my parents' this summer."_

_"I always spend part of the summer with my dad," he says, but his frown is barely one at all._

_"Then we can do both, if you like," Lonnie says._

_Doug grins. "Sounds good to me." He turns to Jay. "You don't mind if I join you guys, do you?"_

_Jay shakes his head. "Nah, I'm good." He smiles. "It'll be fun, just the three of us."_

_Lonnie nods. "I can't wait."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, so sorry for the wait. Hope you all like the beginning of this story enough to hold on for the wordbuilding and later story lines. Doug, Lonnie, and Jay were not a relationship that I was originally attached to, but after over 8,000 words the relationship is just as important to me as Ben/Carlos. Hope y'all continue with this story!


	3. teenage dreams in a teenage circus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title still from "We Are Golden" by MIKA.
> 
> And hahaha...I really have no excuse for how late this update is. Hope you guys enjoy, though!

_"Popular, I know about popular_

_It's not about who you are or your fancy car_

_You're only ever who you were_

_Popular, I know about popular_

_And all that you have to do is be true to you_

_That's all you ever need to know_

_So catch up, 'cause you've got an awful long way to go..."_

_-Popular Song_ , MIKA

 

"I think it would be smartest to hold off on telling everyone about this relationship," Doug says as he reaches Lonnie's locker after school. Tourney and band practice will start in about twenty minutes, but for now everyone's either back in the dorms or at practice. It's just the three of them, with Evie and Mal off plotting by their lockers in the distance. "I mean, there are few advantages to be had by coming out, while for now there are are many advantages to keeping a bit quiet. Solitude and peace from a lack of prying eyes, space to figure out exactly what we are to each other, lack of negative attention due to being a more unconventional relationship-"

Jay smiles fondly. "Slow down a bit, Doug. Not all of us are as fucking brilliant as you are."

"Yeah," Lonnie says, leaning back from putting books in her locker in order to kiss Doug on the forehead.

Doug takes a breath. "I just think that it'd be a lot more comfortable if we didn't tell anyone about us for a little while. Keep out prying eyes, you know?"

Jay runs his tongue across his lips, a bit of a nervous tic. "And this isn't 'cause you're ashamed, right?"

Doug shakes his head. "No, never, I  _swear_. I just, like I said, want us to be able to get comfortable with each other before we let the rest of the world in."

"Sounds good to me," Lonnie says, and Jay nods in agreement.

-

"I'm starting therapy this weekend," Jay says one day when they're sprawled on the sofa, Jay in the middle with Lonnie's legs in his lap and Doug leaning against his shoulder. A movie is playing in the background as Doug flips through papers for Evie's design business, Lonnie plans out the tourney team's moves for the next game on her tablet, and Jay finishes up an essay for Physics, but it and their work is quickly ignored in favor of their conversation. "We all are- the gang and I. Apparently living on the Isle was not very healthy."

Lonnie remembers the conversation they had in the kitchen, the one in which the Isle kids stared at her blankly when she asked them about their parents loving them. She remembers Jay's response specifically, how his eyes had dropped away from hers as if in shame. "No," she says, "From what you've said, I don't think it was."

"Yeah," Doug agrees, sitting up a bit, "I think therapy's a good choice."

Jay takes a deep breath. "So you guys don't think it's weak that I'm going to therapy?"

"Merlin, no," Doug swears. "It's actually a sign of strength to be able to admit to your own issues and resolves to find a way to deal with them in a healthy manner."

"We'd much rather you be happy and talking out anything that Jafar did than miserable for the sake of appearances," Lonnie adds, agreeing. She reaches up and gently squeezes Jay's arm as if in reassurance. "In fact, if you want us to come we can."

Jay swallows. It's not that he doesn't trust Doug and Lonnie, but- okay, it _is_ that, at least in small amount. As much as he wants to trust them (especially as he's in a relationship with them) it's quite hard to trust anyone save those in his own gang. In order to survive on the Isle, he had to be like this.

(And he's trying, he's seriously trying. It's just kinda hard after a lifetime of mistrust and paranoia.)

"Maybe in a few weeks," he says, "But the first few appointments...I think I'd like to do those on my own."

"Whatever you're comfortable with," Doug says, then turns his head and drops a quick kiss on Jay's cheek. It's still a rather strange thing for Jay, kissing a boy. Though he's had a number of relationships with girls- slept with plenty in his time too- boys are a weird thing for him. He isn't sexually attracted to boys- rather, he's only ever wanted to kiss them, to hold them, no more. He feels this way toward Doug constantly.

"Thanks," Jay says.

-

"My dad doesn't normally come for Visiting Day," Doug explains as they're getting ready for the day. He's wearing nothing fancy- just a green bowtie, suspenders, a blue button-down, khakis, and a green blazer- but he looks a bit nicer than normal. Jay looks quite dashing in a white button-down and a black and brown leather jacket that Evie designed, and Lonnie looks stunning in a green dress with fluttery white cap sleeves. "And my mom is a bit, you know, gone, so I normally just hang out with Jane or one of my Uncles."

"Come hang out with my parents," Lonnie says, straightening the lapels of her blazer. "Both of you. We can have fun."

Jay smiles. "Your mom is intimidating, but that sounds like fun."

Lonnie arches an eyebrow in confusion. "My mom's the sweetest person I know-"

Jay snorts. "She also took down the entire Hun army as a  _teenager_. Shan Yu's been bitching about it for as long as I can remember."

Doug blinks. Sometimes it's easy to forget that he and Lonnie haven't known Jay for more than a year, that up until last fall Jay had lived his life  _very_ differently than them. He'd lived as the son of Jafar, forced to steal and pickpocket for his dad's business. He grew up among villains, among murderers and warlords and Warlocks. His own father was, at one point, the most powerful djinn in the world until Maester Genie and Prince Aladdin stopped him.

"I'd have to agree," Doug says, "General Li is quite the intimidating figure."

Lonnie nudges him in the arm. "Take that back, you nerd."

Doug grins. "Never, even if you threaten me with your blade."

Lonnie, whose hand is halfway to the dagger dangling from her jeweled belt, rolls her eyes. "Fine. Have it your way."

Jay snorts. "You two are strange."

"And you're dating us, so what does that make you?" Doug prods.

"A bad decision-maker."

"Aw," Lonnie says, "You know you like us."

Jay's dark eyes sweep over them. "I guess I do, you fools." Then he leans in and presses a quick kiss to each of their lips before stepping away to open the door. "After you two," he offers, and they take him up on the offer.

 

Doug's on his way back from grabbing drinks for the three of them (lemonade for Lonnie, and soda for him and Jay) when he overhears Chad and Audrey complaining about the Isle kids ( _again_ ).

"Did you hear about how they're going to a shrink now?" Chad asks, "They're not just evil, they're crazy." He snorts. "I mean, they always were, but-"

And Doug, despite his usual pacifist attitude, has heard enough.

"Did you two not listen to any of Ben's speeches?" Doug butts in, and the two royals turn to look at him. "The children of the Isle deserve to be looked at for their own merits- of which there are many- rather than those of the world they were raised in.

"You're just as bad as Ben is," Audrey sneers, "Maybe even worse. You're sneaking around with that fourth one, aren't you? Everyone  sees it."

"So what if I'm friends with Jay?" Doug says, and out of the corner of his eye he sees Jay and Lonnie walking up.  "He's a wonderful guy and  _way_ better of a person than either of you.

"You're just the son of a dwarf-" Audrey begins.

"And  _you're_ elitist snobs," Doug says, voice rising, "And I'm done listening to you disparage my friends like that."

Chad tries one last dig just as Lonnie and Jay reach Doug's side. " _And_ you're with the girl who forced her way onto the team.  _Two_ rule-breakers, then."

"Lonnie's my best friend," Jay says before Doug has a chance to defend Lonnie's honor as well. "And I don't want to hear you speak about Doug like that, either. Neither of them deserve it."

"Well, you can screw off, villain," Audrey says, "You don't belong here anyway."

"If he doesn't belong here, then neither do you," Doug says, "After all, what heroics have you performed? Jay faced down _Maleficent_. What have _you_ done?" 

"So you can go fuck yourself, Chad," Lonnie finishes it off. "Same to you, Audrey."

They gape at her, shocked and disgusted by her brashness, but she doesn't care. Doug and Jay are her boyfriends and her best friends, but more importantly, nobody deserves to be treated like that.

Lonnie turns to face Jay and Doug. "I do believe my mom wanted to hear more from Doug about the summer plans. Doug, you mind if I take one of those?" She plucks a cup out of his hand. Doug can recognize the frustration mirrored in her face, and he nods.

When they get out of earshot, Jay turns to them. "You two are badass," he grins.

Doug raises an eyebrow. "Lonnie, I understand, but me? You've gotta be kidding me."

Jay's brow furrows.  "Of course not. What you just did was awesome and pretty damn heroic."

"I'm not a leader," Doug scoffs, though not unkindly, "Or a hero. I'm a follower- always have been, always will be."

Lonnie frowns. "Have you  _seen_ the band?"

Doug frowns. "Yeah. And so?"

"You practically run it, Lemay, just like Lonnie is captain of the Tourney team."

 "Still..." Doug trails off, and Jay frowns, exchanging a concerned look with Lonnie.

"What brought this up?" Lonnie asks. "You're normally pretty sure of yourself, Doug."

Doug sighs. "You two are both graduating from high school soon," he says, "And I'm going to be left here. You're going to be adults, building a better world...and I'm going to be here, playing in the marching band and helping out Evie with her business ideas."

Jay snorts. "Not _that_ grown up- I'm going to be helping Ben out with next years' Isle kids integration program. And 'sides, Lonnie and I will be back to help out with that anyway."

Doug nods, smile returning. "Okay, good point."

"We'll always come back to you," Lonnie promises. "And besides, that's what this summer is for."

Doug's smile is brilliant. "I can't wait to spend it with you two."

Jay places a hand on his shoulder. "Neither can we."

Lonnie makes an aborted movement to lean in and presses a kiss to Doug's cheek, but refrains due to the public nature of their location. "The summer's going to be brilliant."

"Plus, in the words of your hero,  _Relax, Take it easy_ ," Jay sings the last few words and Doug can't handle his heart it feels so close to bursting.


	4. Doug: Relax, Take It Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title and lyrics are from song of the same name by MIKA.

_Relax, oh, there is an answer to the darkest times_

_It's clear we don't understand it_

_But the last thing on my mind is to leave you_

_I believe that we're in this together_

_Don't scream, there are so many roads left_

 

_Doug's favorite song has been "Happy Ending" by MIKA, Prince Eric's younger cousin, for as long as he can remember. It's not a happy sing, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he likes it. The sound of it is magical, delicate, and nothing like the stories his godmother Snow White and his dad and uncles tell him._

-

_He loves to learn. This passion extends to everything from physics to playing the trumpet to spending summers at home searching the forest rather than with his friends from Auradon Elementary. Doug's cousin Martin, son of Uncle Grumpy, learns not to bother Doug when he's on a reasearch binge. Even Lonnie never comes over, though he does visit her family home a couple of times over winter break (the dwarves' house does not have the best of ventilation systems and General Shang makes the best Shaobing)._

-

_The first time Doug met Lonnie, he'd been a lonely six-year-old who had never had a friend. She'd said that reading Harry Potter was cool._

_No one had ever treated Doug like that before._

-

_He and Lonnie start to hang out more in his junior year, and he is reminded of all the reasons he liked to hang out with her as a kid._

_Lonnie is a force of nature. A leader, an athlete,_ _a warrior in a dress. She is so easy to fall for, to put your heart out for._

_Doug has never been a leader, and he is okay with that._

* * *

_When Doug first meets Jay, he doesn't really think much of him (other than the fact that he is super good-looking, that is). Jay is the quieter one of the Isle kids, the one who speaks the least and, at first glance, has the least amount of obvious personality. Mal is cunning and sharp, Evie is fashionable and clever, Carlos is shy and nerdy._

_Jay seems nice enough, Doug guesses._

-

_Doug meets Evie and she's obviously smart. He doesn't know exactly why she's trying to hide it (or why she's trying to hide the fact that she's in love with her best friend), but he accepts and tries to help her be more comfortable. He wants nothing more than for Evie to be confident in herself and her own abilities._

_Through this, he learns more about Jay. He learns that Jay is rather protective of his best friends, that Evie admires his planning abilities and athletic reflexes._

_Jay is more than just a pretty face, than the thug behind his friends._

-

_Doug watches as Ben falls head over heels for Carlos de Vil. It's a strange pairing, but not a bad one. Carlos is shy to the point of fragility, but he is kind, helpful, and nothing but supportive of Ben. He is the exact opposite of Audrey, who was always ready to put someone down or pick fun at Ben's more optimistic ideas._

-

_The first time Doug hears Jay speak is when he goes to stop by Lonnie's locker after practice. He finds Jay standing there, and for a moment he is confused before remembering that Lonnie has mentioned hanging out with Jay more often._

_Well, he's happy to gain another friend._

_-_

_Lord Mika releases a new album. Doug finds himself constantly humming the first single,_  Good Guys, _even in Physics class._

_It's already his second favorite song, and he wouldn't be surprised if it becomes his favorite one soon._

-

_There's an incident in Physics in which Evie nearly cheats and is caught, but Doug covers for her. He believes that she can do this on her own, if just given that little push._

_Evie comes up to him after school that day, when he and Lonnie are camped out at a table studying Math. She places her test on the table in front of him, B+ prominent._

_"Thank you," she says, "For the first time I'm more than just a pretty face. You know,_ _I've never believed in myself before. Thank you for being my friend and helping me out."_

_Doug smiles. "No problem."_

_Mal steps up behind him as well. "Nice job, Whiz Kid," she says, and from Chad or Audrey that might sound mean but from Mal it sounds like a compliment._

_"It wasn't me," Doug says, "It was all Evie."_

_Mal smiles proudly at her girlfriend and, in this moment, the daughter of the Mistress of All Evil looks like any ordinary Auradonian. Lovesick and proud, happy and normal._

_The spell is broken, though, as Carlos comes running up to the table. "Evie Evie Evie!" He shouts, grabbing her by the hand, "You've gotta help me out!"_

_"What's the issue?" She asks, all business._

_"Ben asked me out on a_ date!" _He nearly shouts, and the kid looks like he's about to have an anxiety attack._

_"Thanks, Doug," Evie says over her shoulder as she slings her arm through her girlfriend's, "But looks like I have a crisis to handle." She leaves, talking to a panicking Carlos the whole time._

_Doug turns back to Lonnie, who is grinning. "Oh, c'mon," he says, "What are you laughing at?"_

_"You, you nerd," she teases, "Helping everybody out. Making sure everyone is included. Being everyone's friend. Far cry from the boy I first met ten years ago."_

_Doug shrugs. "The boy you met ten years ago didn't have any friends to help."_

_"Well, now you have me and Jane and all the Isle kids," she says. "That's gotta count for something, right?"_

_He smiles. "Of course."_

_Jay plops down on the seat next to Lonnie. "The girls and Carlos are freaking out over Carlos going on a date," he says by way of explanation. "What are we doing?"_

_"Derivatives," Lonnie answers, deadpan, and Jay's carefree smile crumples._

_"C'mon,_ anything _but math," he complains. "English, potions, history, petty thievery- those I can handle. Math? Never."_

_"Sorry, but math is Doug's one true love," Lonnie says, "He wouldn't give it up for the world."_

_"Guess I'm stuck with it, then," Jay says with a very sarcastic sigh. He does, however, pull a pencil out of a back pocket and pull Lonnie's textbook close. "Okay, geniuses," he says, making the term sound like an endearment, "Teach me derivatives."_

_Doug is a bit surprised, but not too much. He may not have many classes with Jay- just P.E., actually- but he's seen how Jay acts in any situation where he's confronted with something he doesn't know how to do. He pours his heart into the activity until he's mastered it, an almost hyperfocus taking over his actions. It's almost like Doug's manner of learning, though Jay's is certainly more...aggressive than his. Kind of more like Lonnie, to be truthful._

_Doug nods. "Okay, then," he says, "First you have to..."_

-

 _Lord Mika releases the second single from his album._ We Are Golden  _is an energetic, fuck-the-world type song that reminds Doug of Lonnie and Jay. Doug falls in love with it immediately._

-

 _Jay comes over to Lonnie's locker to_   _invite them to sit with the Isle kids and Ben for lunch. It's the Monday after the coronation, and that weight seems to be gone from his shoulders._

_"Mal says to invite a friend or two to eat lunch with us, and there's no friends that I'd rather sit with than the two of you," Jay explains._

_(Doug admires Jay's straightforward way of speaking. He always gets straight to the point.)_

_Lonnie smiles. "Sounds like fun."_

_Doug nods. "We'd be happy to join."_

_The barest trace of a smile carves its way across Jay's lips, and_ shit _, he's so good-looking._

* * *

_The morning Doug heads to lunch and finds Jay gone MIKA releases the final single from his album and_ this  _one will definitely be his favorite. Titled "Grace Kelly," the song is fantastic._

-

_Doug knows he is a goner by the time Jay returns from the Isle. Not only is his love for Lonnie resting in his heart, like always, but his feelings for Jay have grown to nestle in next to it._

_Jay comes to eat dinner with them that day, sans Carlos. Doug supposes that after that disastrous lunch Carlos doesn't want to face the world. Doug likes Carlos- he hopes that this...this whatever it is with Ben will blow over soon._

_Mal and Evie are huddled down at the end of the table, heatedly discussing something, Jane is buried in her homework for World History, and Ben is busy being a dick, so that leaves Jay, Lonnie, and Doug at their end of the table to talk._

_"What's going on with Carlos and Ben?" Lonnie asks._

_Jay sighs. "It's complicated, and I'm not sure either of them would be okay with me telling you what's going on. Maybe they'll tell you tomorrow."_

_Doug and Lonnie stare at him before nodding. "Okay," Lonnie says with a shrug. They trust Jay's judgement- if he's not sharing with them, they're sure there's a reason for it._

_Jay looks at them for a minute before saying, "Tomorrow afternoon, after school- do you guys think we could meet in my room?"_

_Doug shrugs. "Sure."_


End file.
